


don't you lose my number (‘cause you're not anywhere that i can find you)

by ajemoftime



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Pennywise (IT), Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier Deserve Happiness, Fluff, Gay Eddie Kaspbrak, Gay Richie Tozier, How Do I Tag, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Phone Calls & Telephones, Strangers to Lovers, Swearing, crack idea but like it's not crack, not beta read because it be like that, rich just wants to make ends meet by selling curtains :((, richie is a telemarketer don't question my shit, so it's not crack treated seriously, telemarketer au, that's a thing now, they're like 20
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-01-26 13:02:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21374569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ajemoftime/pseuds/ajemoftime
Summary: Eddie Kaspbrak hates everything about phone calls. The stress about not knowing who is calling, the terrible audio quality, the pressure to keep the conversation going. He especially hates telemarketers, because he finds himself too anxious to hang up.OReddie meets richie, a telemarketer, on the phone. shit happens.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 10
Kudos: 78





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> No one asked for this, but I delivered anyway. Enjoy?

Richie Tozier, resident of Derry, had zero friends. It was basically his defining characteristic. His life was also pretty bland. He spent his mornings attending classes that he didn't enjoy. He spent evenings annoying people on the phone to get a bit of extra cash. As people had told him his whole life, his only talent was pissing people the fuck off. So, like most people do with a skill, he practised this fine art and got better and better at it. Some called it infuriating, but he called it a coping mechanism.

Somehow, Richie had managed to snag a job as a telemarketer. It wasn’t the most validating of jobs, to say the least. Putting up with verbal abuse and rejection from the other end on the daily definitely wasn’t the best for one’s mental health. However, he ignored this as much as he could and, in an attempt to actually enjoy his occupation, tried to incorporate his so-called ‘annoying’ sense of humour into his calls. He was willing to advertise anything from food delivery apps to cosmetic products. The college kid, on average, managed to speak for about ten seconds before being hung up on. But that was alright, because Richie got money from it whilst also managing to do what he did best. Being an infuriating and slightly insecure piece of shit.

The young adult lived in a tiny, rundown apartment on the outskirts of Derry. He had constantly been bullied at school, so he decided to lose contact with literally everyone and move as far away as possible without having to spend too much money. Being a college student, it was unsurprising that he didn’t have a lot of that. So here he was, situated about three kilometres away from where he had previously lived. Richie’s apartment had two rooms: a main room which was his kitchen, living room and bedroom compacted into a five by five metre space, and a small bathroom that was positioned near the tattered front door. Richie suspected that some terrible crime had probably been committed in this apartment that the landlord just hadn’t told him about. The state of the place was appalling. The yellow lights constantly flickered, a musty smell filled the room, and patches of mould were present on nearly every wall. Despite this, Richie, being Richie, did absolutely nothing to fix up the place, and simply contributed to the mess by scattering his clothes and work all over the creaking wooden floorboards. He didn’t care though, as no one except him entered the place, anyway.

It was an ordinary afternoon. Richie was walking home from his classes through the cold, windy side streets around his neighbourhood. A worn, brown backpack containing all his notes and books on biology was slung over his shoulder, which was covered by one of his many old, soft, Hawaiian shirts. He slightly scuffed his loose sneakers against the dirt road as he strode, not in the biggest rush to get to his pitiful excuse of a home. A group of young teenagers rode past him on bikes, exchanging insults and jokes in a friendly manner. Richie smiled wistfully, wondering what having a group of friends would be like. He would never admit it, but he secretly craved that personal level of human interaction.

Far too soon, Richie arrived at his apartment block. Reluctantly, he pulled himself inside. His round glasses fogged up in response to the sudden change in temperature. The man made his way to his room, slamming the fragile door behind him in an exhausted fashion. Dust lightly landed on him in greeting, and he collapsed onto his moth-eaten cushioned chair near the small window. He poured himself a glass of cheap alcohol and allowed his body to slightly relax. Richie sat this way for a few precious minutes, before deciding to begin that night’s advertising calls. He dragged himself over to the table with his phone on it, not bothered by the harsh, scraping sound of the chair legs making rough contact with the unsteady ground.

Mere seconds later found Richie holding a well-used, handwritten script in one hand. The other hand was typing random numbers into his phone. Soon, the number of the next sorry soul to receive an unwanted call was illuminated on his screen. He painted a huge smile on his face, as though he was a door-to-door salesman and not a telemarketer. Taking a deep breath, Richie prepared himself for the inevitable rejection and slammed his thumb onto the ‘call’ button.

~~~

Eddie Kaspbrak, resident of Derry, had a pretty good life. He lived alone in a spacious, orderly apartment in the centre of Derry, attending a college as an art student. Classes were definitely enjoyable, and his home made him feel safe and clean. Eddie spoke with his friends every day, even if he didn’t always see them in person, and communicated with his acquaintances in college easily. All in all, he was grateful to have such a supportive group of friends that helped him relish every part of life.

However, Eddie Kaspbrak, resident of Derry, also hated phone calls. Everything about them made him uncomfortable. From the stress of not knowing who was calling, to the pressure of keeping a conversation going, every single aspect of them made him involuntarily shudder. So naturally, when Eddie received a phone call from an unknown number, his heart skipped not one beat, but ten. His stomach flipped as he hesitated.

_You could just not answer it, you know_, he attempted to reason with himself.

However, the fear that it may actually be an important call overrode his social anxiety. Building up some courage, he pressed that taunting green button and managed to answer.

"Hello, this is Eddie speaking," he said as calmly as possible, attempting to soothe himself by fiddling with a curl of his brown hair with his free hand.

"Hey, Eds! How's it going? You want curtains? Because these curtains I’m being paid to advertise are pretty damn nifty, if I do say so myself," an overly enthusiastic voice replied.

_Uh oh_, Eddie thought_, it's a telemarketer_. Something about this one seemed different though. He seemed to almost have an actual personality. He couldn't even resist a chuckle. Half of him wanted to hang up on the man, but the other half noticed that he had called him 'Eds', which he hated with a passion. That couldn't go unignored.

"Don't call me Eds. And no, I'm not interested in curtains, sorry," Eddie responded bluntly. He did feel bad for the person on the other end of the line. He wondered how many people rejected this man, who sounded like he was around his age, a day.

“Aw, come on now, Eds! I’m trying to just make ends meet until I get an actual job – the least you could do is entertain me and _pretend _to sound interested so I can finish reading my lines,” the disembodied voice almost _pleaded _back.

Eddie wasn’t sure how professional this was of the man, but he was impressed about how personal he was acting. The playful tone in his voice made him sound like someone he’d genuinely want to know.

_It’s just those telemarketing tricks_, he sternly told himself, _it’s a technique to make me comfortable and steal my money._

“I’m sorry – I’m really not in need of anymore curtains. Have a good day,” he tentatively responded. There was a small pause.

"Oh, okay. Sorry, man. Hope you're having a good afternoon," the voice sighed.

Eddie hung up.

Richie groaned as not-called-Eds ended the call. Yet another failure.

_What a shame, too_, he internally spoke, _he sounded pretty kind. _

Eddie hadn't seemed audibly frustrated by him. Richie might have even humoured him. Almost like a potential friend. Because of this, Richie noted down the number and put it on his bedside table. In a totally non-creepy way.

Later, he'd call Eddie in a casual setting. For now, though, the telemarketer had more shitty products to advertise.

~~~

The next day – just his luck – Eddie received yet another phone call. Swallowing his fear as usual, he quickly picked up.

"Hello, this is Eddie speaking," he answered in a monotonic voice.

"Eds. Hi. It's Richie, you know, the weird telemarketer you spoke to yesterday?"

Eddie most definitely did remember. For some reason, the very few sentences he had exchanged with that man had stuck with him. His tone of voice had been so genial. Something about him was unique.

"How the fuck do you have my number?" he snapped. Eddie didn’t mean to – it was a defensive habit.

“Okay, don’t freak out, but I kind of wrote it down after I called you. You seemed kind, which most people aren’t. This sounds really fucking pitiful, but you’re the sort of person that I’d like to get to know.”

That struck Eddie by surprise. All he could think to say was, "Oh."

Shuffling was heard on the other end of the line as Richie uncomfortably shifted position.

"So, you want to like, get to know me?" Eddie guessed.

"Yeah. If that's, like, not weird?" Richie's voice came through the phone static.

"Oh no, there's nothing at all weird about that. A strange man whom I've spoken like two sentences to just called me saying he wants to be friends after trying unprofessionally to sell curtains to me the day before. That's a completely normal thing to do," Eddie replied, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

Richie chuckled softly into the speaker.

"Man, I get it. I'll hang up. No problemo."

Eddie, for some reason, couldn't stop himself. "No! It's okay. Let's meet up somewhere."

He could almost see Richie gaping with surprise.

"You've got to be shitting me. You're serious?" he spluttered.

"Um. Yeah. Meet me at the quarry tomorrow at midday, fuckface," Eddie grinned, hanging up before Richie could respond.

As soon as the call ended, Eddie made a peculiar, strangled sort of sound and threw his phone across the room in a mixture of awe and horror at what he had just done. He would be meeting a complete stranger in under twenty-four hours. Not only this, but he was the one that had organised the time and place.

_Who are you, and what have you done with Eddie Kaspbrak?_ he internally spoke.

In a nervous rush, the art student reached over to pick up his phone and called his three lifelong friends, planning to meet them to debrief what had just happened.

~~~

"You WHAT?" Stanley Uris all but screamed a mere half hour later.

"I agreed to meet Richie at the quarry tomorrow," Eddie repeated as nonchalantly as possible, picking at the grass in Stan's beautifully pristine garden in an attempt to avoid eye contact. He was sitting in a small circle with his friends: Mike Hanlon, Ben Hanscom and Stan Uris.

"So, in other words, you are meeting someone you have spoken about ten words to in your whole life tomorrow because he apparently gives you good vibes. And this someone attempted to sell you curtains yesterday?" Ben sceptically clarified.

"Well, I guess you could put it that way, yeah," Eddie muttered, leaving the grass alone to stiffen his body and draw his arms around his stomach defensively.

"Look, Eddie, you can do what you want, but this sure as fuck sounds like either a kidnapping or a marketing scheme to me," Mike, the voice of reason, explained gently. He leaned over to make sure Eddie was looking at him.

"And me," Stan piped up, rolling his eyes in disbelieving infuriation.

“You don’t even know what he looks like. How will you be able to identify him?” Ben pointed out.

Eddie brushed him off. “I’m sure I’ll figure something out.”

Stan, Mike and Ben exchanged cautious glances.

"Okay, guys, if you want to come with me for protection or whatever, be my guests. I could use some backup in case things go to shit," Eddie groaned.

Ben and Mike nodded, silently agreeing to accompany one of their best friends. Stan was not so submissive.

"No. I'm not about to join you all to meet some potential attacker. I'll be standing nearby with a phone on hand to call the police at a moment's notice."

Eddie made a noise of affirmative, smiling at his friends.

"Okay, guys, let's meet this telemarketer."

The group of four stood and went their own separate ways, planning to meet at the quarry the next day.

~~~

Richie shivered as he lay under his thin blankets that night. He was terrified.

_Did you seriously just organise to meet with someone you’ve barely met? _he reprimanded himself.

_You could get attacked. _

_What if something bad happens?_

_What if he hates you?_

_What if you embarrass yourself?_

_What if you end up having a crush on hi- NOPE._

Richie shut his brain up before he could start having those thoughts. That was the last thing he needed that night. He was going to meet with Eddie the next day and it would be alright. He could even make a friend.

With these words running through his mind, Richie closed his eyes and went to sleep.


	2. two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie and Richie meet. They get ice cream.

At 10:30am the next day, Eddie pulled himself out of bed with an overwhelming feeling of _what the fuck did you sign up for_ hovering over him. Dread and anxiety built up in his chest, as they so often did. He had planned to meet his friends at his house at 11:30 and then head to the quarry together to meet Richie at noon. Stan would wait a while away and call the police if there was any sign of trouble. Assuming everything went smoothly, Eddie and Richie would leave the others and spend some time together. Eddie wasn’t sure exactly _what_ they’d be doing, considering he knew absolutely nothing about Richie, other than that he seemed to be a pretty angsty excuse for a telemarketer. Shaking slightly from nervousness, he drew himself back to the present and made his bed carefully. He straightened his sheets and removed any creases in the fabric.

Afterwards, Eddie left his small bedroom and opened up his curtains, which, much to his discomfort, now reminded him of Richie. He didn't want to think about the telemarketer at that moment - thoughts about him made Eddie quite anxious. The art student assumed that it was because he was meeting a stranger whom he had only spoken to on the telephone, but he felt as if there was some other reason, too. Why did he decide to do this? Groaning, he poured himself a small bowl of cereal (his wasn't sure his stomach could handle much food at the moment) and sat at his kitchen bench. Eddie managed to keep it all down and, not bothering to put his bowl and cutlery in the dishwasher, threw some carefully selected clothes on. He never usually worried about what he wore, but Richie had never seen him before. Eddie wanted to make a good first impression, of course. By the time he had done some basic tasks around the house, it was 11:25am. His friends would be arriving soon.

~~~

Richie, much like Eddie, started the day off with a feeling of dread and anxiety in his gut, but, unlike Eddie, he woke up at 11:25am and did not get out of bed straight away. Instead, he lay there for a few minutes, trying to hype himself up to get out of bed and face the terrifying day.

"Hey, Rich, it'll be okay," he muttered to himself, "Eddie seemed nice enough on the phone. This is just the nerves speaking. You'll have a good day."

That managed to work well enough for Richie to drag his blankets off his lanky body and place both feet onto the rough floor of his apartment. He, much like when he was about to make an advertising call, took a deep breath and stood up quickly. He flung on some old clothes that he had found on the floor and tried in vain to remove a stain from his loose top. After brushing his teeth quickly, Richie then clumsily made himself an unsustainable breakfast of a few breadsticks. By this time, it was 11:45am and he had barely fifteen minutes to get himself out of the house and drive the ten-minute drive to the quarry. When he was in the doorway, Richie hesitated, once again questioning why he was meeting with an utter stranger. Shaking off his suspicions and reasoning that there was probably nothing to worry about, the college student stepped out into the cold and rushed to his car. Refusing to let any more doubts flood his mind, Richie backed out of the tiny excuse of a driveway and drove towards his potential new friend.

~~~

"You sure you want to do this?" Mike asked Eddie softly while the four friends were heading down the main road on the way to the quarry.

"There's no turning back now," Eddie replied with a confident tone that did not match his actual emotions.

Stan scoffed.

"You know there's always time to turn back, Eddie."

Eddie snorted affirmatively, arguing that Richie was probably waiting for him at that very moment, and he wasn't about to stand up that man.

"You do realise that you don't owe him anything, right?" Ben laughed. The laughter was quickly cut off when Eddie gave him a murderous glare, revealing for a second the anxiety building up inside him.

"Look, are you going to be supportive friends or not? Because, honestly, if you're not going to be there for me, then you might as well just leave now," he snapped.

Ben, Mike and Stan exchanged uneasy looks. Mike spoke up.

"You're right. Sorry. We're just looking out for you," he said.

"I know. Thank you. Now, let's go, or else we'll be late," Eddie promptly stated. They picked up their pace and walked towards the quarry with purpose.

~~~

Richie parked his car on the side of the road and flung the side door open, briskly walking to the quarry. It was 12:10pm - he had stopped by a 7-Eleven to get food on the way. He tried to focus on his feet hitting the dirt and not the butterflies churning in his stomach as he made his way to the water. Voices could be heard in the distance.

"Stan, seriously! It'll be fine. You actually need to stop freaking out or else I'll freak out even more! You should take your place in the bushes," a high-pitched, familiar voice blurted.

"Fine," another, more distant voice responded.

Richie couldn't hear much else as he rustled the leaves and came out to the location which was the source of the speaking. Three young adults, around his age, were standing together and muttering. One of them, the one with straight brown hair and wearing a crisply ironed shirt, looked extremely nervous. He was uncontrollably fidgeting and fixing his hair, as the other two seemed to be trying to calm him down. None of them had noticed Richie yet, and he was slightly grateful for that, as he felt as if he was intruding. One of them, a muscular, glistening man, looked up at him. Smiling at Richie, he nudged the nervous one and whispered something in his ear, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. The scared one and the other man both stared at him too, before the anxious one was pushed forward.

"Hey, are you Richie?" he asked cautiously, a layer of worry present in his voice.

"Yeah, I am," Richie grinned, swallowing down his own fear and, in an attempt to comfort the other man, held his hand out for him to shake. "You're Eddie?" he guessed.

Eddie nodded, not saying anything as he took Richie's hand. They stood like that for a moment, simply taking each other in. Richie wasn't sure what to say, and he could tell Eddie didn't know, either. It wasn't an awkward silence, per se, but it was uncomfortable.

Luckily, the silence was broken by one of the two other adults coughing. The one who had noticed Richie before strode over to him and grasped his hand.

"I'm Mike, and this is Ben. We're friends of Eddie. We just came with him to make sure you weren't a creepy old guy," he explained good-naturedly. Richie laughed.

"Man, that’s understandable. I probably should’ve done the same. Where's Stan, though?" he said.

The three others looked at each other, probably wondering how he knew about Stan. A few metres away, Richie noticed a bush shiver slightly.

"Don't worry - I haven't been stalking you. I just heard you address someone called Stan before," he clarified.

Relief was evident on the boys' faces upon hearing this explanation.

"He's just in that bush. Stan is a very serious guy - he was on standby in case the police need to be called," Eddie giggled nervously.

"As you do," Richie chuckled.

The bush shuddered again and a tall man with curly blonde hair crawled out, shaking leaves out of his hair.

"I can't believe you talked me into hiding in a bush, Eddie. They are so dirty and uncomfortable! I actually feel awful, now," he complained, somewhat seriously.

"Remember, Stan, it was you who wanted to keep watch to call the police. I didn't make you do anything," Eddie grinned. Stan glowered at him.

He turned to face Richie and stared him up and down a few times, formulating an opinion on him. After a moment, Stan walked over to him and shook his hand firmly.

"Stan. Nice to meet you," he said. Richie nodded.

"Likewise."

He stepped back slightly to be able to see the four new people before him. They all seemed friendly enough, although the long stares directed towards him did make the telemarketer slightly uncomfortable. Richie bounced slightly on his toes with nervous energy. Eddie, who appeared to be quite perceptive, noticed this and spun around to stand next to Richie.

"I think we'll go now, guys! Thanks for looking out for me!" he told Mike, Ben and Stan appreciatively. The three of them nodded and each gave Eddie a quick hug before walking off to their various destinations.

Richie was glad that he didn't have four sets of eyes pointed on him, but now he was alone with Eddie. He wasn't sure which he preferred.

Richie couldn't deny it: he was nervous. It was a unique experience for him, because usually meeting new people didn't worry him too much, but something about Eddie seemed different. He wasn't sure what, but, to him, Eddie had a peculiar aura. Eddie intimidated Richie, which was weird to say the least, as he was smaller than him and had quite an approachable personality. He was unlike other people Richie saw, and he was uncertain whether this was a good or a bad difference.

By now, they had been standing in silence for around ten seconds, and Richie was pulled out of his thoughts by Eddie waving his hand in front of his eyes.

"Man, you alright? I lost you for a second there," he said, placing the back of his hand on Richie's forehead as though checking for a fever. Richie shook his head, clearing his mind.

"Yeah! I'm good! Just zoned out," he laughed. Eddie frowned, keeping his hand on his forehead a little while longer to make sure.

"No worries! That happens to me too, sometimes!" he smiled, finally removing his hand from Richie's face, which, for some reason, was hot for reasons unrelated to any non-existent fever.

"Hey, you want to get ice cream? Maybe we can get to know each other a bit," Richie offered, wanting to do something to make the situation less intimate. Or maybe it wasn't intimate. Maybe it was just like any normal situation. Richie didn't know anymore.

Luckily, Eddie agreed, and the two of them turned their backs to the quarry as they climbed the hill back to the road.

~~~

Richie wasn't the only one who was nervous and felt something queer between them. Eddie, too, had a slightly flushed face and a small tremble to his hand. He felt a lump in his throat - not the kind that one gets when they're about to cry, but the kind that one gets when they're anxious and feel as if they aren't able to speak. As the two of them walked towards the centre of town, they didn't say much, and Eddie wasn't sure whether the quiet was a curse or a blessing. They both seemed comfortable with each other - well, as comfortable as they could be, considering they had just met - and left one another to their own thoughts on the way to the ice cream shop. In this time, Eddie gave himself time to take in Richie's appearance. He had wild black hair which seemed to perfectly match his personality, and glasses with frames that were too big for his face. Richie wore an old, somewhat tattered shirt, and walked with a stride that was a strange mixture of confident and uncomfortable. Eddie wasn't sure whether this was due to any discomfort Richie felt, or if it was merely the way in which he walked. He was curiously mesmerised by it, though.

_What are you doing, Eddie? Why are you so obsessed with how he walks? _he thought judgementally.

Richie glanced at him, and Eddie felt butterflies flutter in his stomach, before realising he was staring and looking away shyly. Richie didn’t comment. He simply gave a pleasant snicker.

~~~

After what seemed like an eternity but was probably around five minutes, Eddie and Richie arrived at the ice cream shop. It was a relatively small, open air parlour with a bright, appealing sign and a minuscule eating area under the roof. Little circular tables with chequered tablecloths were dotted around this section, accompanied by wooden stools. The two college students took themselves to the display freezer and looked over at the various ice cream and sorbet options.

“What do you want?” Richie questioned. Eddie pointed to the chocolate ice cream.

“Chocolate? Come _on_, Eds! That’s, like, the most overrated ice cream flavour,” Richie groaned jokingly.

“Fuck off. It’s good. Better than whatever _you’re _going to choose,” Eddie shot back. It usually didn’t take him such a short amount of time to comfortably banter with someone. Then, as an afterthought, he added, “Don’t call me Eds.”

“Well, you see, Eds, I’m a man of dignity. I’ll have peppermint choc chip,” Richie said in a snobbish tone, scrunching up his nose and raising his chin. Eddie gagged upon hearing his flavour choice but stopped when Richie walked up to the person at the counter and ordered for both of them.

“Hey, dickhead! I do have money, you know. I can pay for my own food!” he called out to Richie. Eddie was ignored by the telemarketer, who continued to order.

“Could I have one peppermint choc chip and – I can’t believe I have to say this – also one chocolate ice cream?” Richie asked, handing over a few dollar bills. Eddie tried to stop him, but Richie had mysteriously gone deaf. He took the two ice creams that the person behind the counter gave him and led Eddie to one of the tables in the shop.

“Why did you pay for mine?” Eddie barked as he was handed his chocolate ice cream. Richie took a pointed lick of his own light green dessert before replying.

“Because I’m a random telemarketer you didn’t even know existed until a few days ago and I talked you into meeting up with me. Least I could do is pay for your shitty-flavoured ice cream.”

Eddie rolled his eyes at the insult, although he couldn’t help but feel touched at the small gesture of kindness.

“Well, thanks. And it is _good _ice cream, I’ll have you know! Try it.” He directed his cone towards Richie’s mouth and pushed it close. Richie turned away in disgust.

“I’d rather drink fucking greywater from the sewers than eat your demon ice cream,” he scoffed. Eddie grinned.

~~~

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Eddie brought up a question he’d been pondering ever since the previous day.

“So, why did you call me again yesterday? You must call dozens of people a night. What was so special about me?” he asked.

“I’m not actually sure, Eds. I guess you sounded like the kind of person I’d like to know. Why did _you_ _agree_ to meet me today?” Richie answered, asking a question of his own.

“You had a personality,” Eddie stated, “unlike a lot of other telemarketers I’ve talked to. I liked your humour. I wanted to get to know you.”

Richie nodded slowly, a slight smile growing on his face.

~~~

They spoke for about an hour and a half. Both of them enjoyed it and Eddie was surprised at how well they got along. He was also surprised at how he and Richie both had flushed cheeks and sweaty palms. Sure, Eddie had social anxiety, but he was comfortable around his newly made friend. It was strange. Richie, unfortunately, had to leave to go to his afternoon classes, so their meeting was cut short.

“Thanks for meeting me today, man. I had a fucking brilliant time. Your friends are pretty cool, too,” the telemarketer grinned, standing up and leaning against his wooden stool.

“Oh, it was no worries. I had a great time too!” Eddie replied enthusiastically.

Richie shifted his weight between his feet, taking a breath before asking, “Hey, if it’s okay, do you want to meet up tomorrow after my classes, too?”

Eddie’s face broke into another smile.

“Of course.”

There was a slight tension between the two young adults, as Eddie was wondering whether or not it was appropriate to hug Richie yet. Richie seemed to be having a similar internal conflict, though neither of them ended up initiating an embrace.

“You have my number already,” Eddie laughed, “so call me tonight!”

Richie winked jokingly and shot finger guns awkwardly at Eddie, before the two of them turned and walked off in opposite directions, towards home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Exams have finished and I have a whole week off school next week so hopefully I'll update a bit faster next time! I'm thinking that this story may be a little longer than I expected, so next chapter might not be the last one. I might do two or three more! We'll see how it progresses. I don't want to rush anything or spread it out, so I'll just go where the story takes me.  
As always, please leave a comment or kudos if you like this! I also welcome constructive criticism! Hope you’re having a good day!


	3. three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie meets some long-lost friends. Richie comes to a realisation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to another update! I don't know how I feel about this chapter, so please give me feedback!  
ALSO!!! Potential warning: Some pretty detailed internalised homophobia and oppression, as well as general self-hatred due to one’s sexuality. If this triggers you or affects you in any way, please be cautious! It does get better, though. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Eddie and Richie ended up calling each other every day. It became a daily tradition for Eddie to meet Richie after his biology classes on weekdays and for them to talk and do various activities around Derry. Some days they were joined by Mike, Ben and Stan, and other days it was just the two of them. The two students did many things together, including seeing movies, going to the arcade and exploring the wildlife around the town. They soon came to realise that both of them clicked very well and therefore grew to become close friends in only a few days. Richie also had become relatively tight with Eddie's three other friends, and he sometimes hung out with them for movie nights and late-night trips to sketchy diners. It was the happiest period of time in Richie's life and he loved the feeling of having genuine friends who appreciated and valued him as much as he did them. At nighttime, the student still called the phones of the town's citizens to advertise various goods and services. He managed to earn some cash from this, but the job and college were really the only uninteresting, negative parts of his life. Despite how quickly they formed this friendship, an unusually tense and uncomfortable aura sometimes hung between them. Neither Richie nor Eddie acknowledged this, but both of them felt it.

Currently, Richie was sitting in the lecture theatre with five minutes to go as he learnt about the wonders of microbiology. He could not be more bored, and he fidgeted uncontrollably in his seat, unable to quietly wait for the class to end. Eddie was, as he had been doing for the past month, coming to his college campus to meet him, and every single one of Richie's thoughts was preoccupied with Eddie. Everything was Eddie, and Eddie was everything. His eyes, his hair, his face, his smile, his voice.

_STOP_, he told himself internally, _you're getting some really weird gay thoughts and you need to turn that shit the fuck off_. Richie dug his fingers into his palms and tried to divert his attention back to the lecturer. Before he could, though, the class was over. For an unknown reason, the biology student was more nervous about seeing Eddie than usual. It could have been because he was not used to having friends and didn't want to lose the few he had just gained, but he sensed it was something more.

~~~

Richie had his backpack slung over one shoulder as he strode out of the doors of his lecture. He looked around and quickly saw the familiar soft face of Eddie Kaspbrak approaching.

"Hello, Richie!" he grinned, bumping his shoulder amiably, "How was class?"

"Shit, as usual," Richie laughed back, falling into his friend, "But you're here now, Eds, and we get to do whatever we want."

"So true," the art student agreed.

They were about to leave the college campus, when two voices called out behind them.

"Eddie! Shit, is that actually you?" a female voice yelled out. Eddie jumped and spun around with Richie to see two people, a girl and a boy, around their ages, walking towards them.

"It is! Oh my God, this is so exciting!" the girl continued, beaming from ear to ear. Eddie relaxed when recognition dawned on his face.

"Bev! Bill! It's so amazing to see you!" he cried, wrapping his arms around both of them. Richie stood back slightly, observing the two newcomers that he now vaguely recognised from the class he was just in. The woman that Eddie had greeted as Bev had curly, shoulder length red hair and was a regular height. She wore loose denim overalls and a plain, slightly worn out yellow top underneath them. She seemed to be quite carefree and the sort of person Richie would get along well with. Next to her was the man that Richie assumed was Bill. He had straight, auburn hair and wore a green plaid shirt with casual blue jeans. He carried a sense of authority around him, and Richie was instantly compelled to respect and be slightly intimidated by him. Richie liked them. This may have been because Eddie was friends with them, so they therefore were probably good people, but they both also appeared to be kind-hearted and likeable people.

"This is Richie," Eddie introduced, grabbing Richie's arm and dragging him over to the group of three. "Richie, these are Bill and Beverly. They were friends with me, Stan, Mike and Ben in school, but they both moved schools, so we lost touch," he explained.

Beverly gave a small wave to Richie, and Bill nodded at him.

"Great to meet you guys!" Richie smiled, shaking their hands.

“And you!” Bill responded warmly. Eddie smiled.

“Your stutter’s gone!” he noticed.

“Yeah, he got a better speech therapist and now he’s made incredible improvement,” Bev explained joyfully. Based on this conversation, Richie could only assume that Bill used to have a stutter. He couldn’t imagine him with it at all. He stood there silently as the other three conversed and updated each other on their lives. He didn’t feel left out, though – he was happy with stepping back a bit, letting Eddie reconnect with his childhood friends. He felt glad that his friend was enjoying himself.

~~~

A few minutes later, Beverly and Bill said goodbye to Richie and Eddie and the two pairs went their separate ways. As they were walking, Eddie faced Richie eagerly.

“Did you like them?” he asked.

“Fuck yeah! They’re awesome,” Richie enthusiastically replied.

“I’m glad! You didn’t feel excluded or anything, though?”  
“Not at all,” Richie confirmed. Eddie seemed to relax.

The two of them strolled without talking for a few moments, letting the fresh wind blow around them and their footsteps guide them. Richie broke the silence.

“Hey, we’ve known each other for a while now. Should we meet up at my apartment? Maybe just chill around and chat?” he suggested.

Eddie nodded vigorously. “I thought you’d never ask, dickhead. I’d love that so much.”

Richie laughed. He gave Eddie his address and the two organised to catch up later that night, so that Richie had some time to get his place ready.

~~~

At his house, Richie was only slightly freaking the fuck out. It was just like how he was before he had first seen Eddie in person. He tried make the place as clean as possible, mostly by throwing all the shit he saw into drawers, but there wasn’t much else he could do. The old apartment was still a mess due to years of mistreatment, so Richie had soon given up and decided to lie down on his bed instead. He attempted to do some sort of breathing exercise, which did little to nothing to calm him down.

_Richie, why the fuck are you so anxious around Eddie? _he thought, a mixture of frustrated and stressed. _He’s probably your closest friend. There is absolutely no reason for you to be nervous._

He rolled over, feeling his chest tighten even more and a wave of nausea wash over him. The sad thing was that Richie knew why he was anxious around Eddie but refused to accept it. He realised that he had always known. But he couldn’t be. That would mean that he was…

_No_, Richie shook his head, _you’re not _that_. You must just be confused. You can’t_ _be _that.

He fiddled and played with his fingers, trying to deny what he knew deep down was true. Richie couldn’t deny it. He was terrified. His whole life, he had been told how awful it was to be _that_. How he would never find happiness. How everyone would hate him. How people who were _that _were sick and needed to be fixed and turned normal. Just the _possibility _of him being attracted to men made Richie feel dirty and _wrong_. His breath hitched.

“No, Richie. No, no, no. This isn’t right. You _can’t_ like him. That’s not how it works,” he ranted quietly.

_But it is. You do like him. You have always liked him. You have a huge crush on your only friend,_ an internal voice mocked him. Richie’s hands started shaking. With every thought, the gap between each inhalation and exhalation shrunk and he soon ended up hyperventilating. For he had finally realised that his fears and nightmares were a reality. He _was _dirty. He _was _wrong. He _was _attracted to the same gender. A salty mixture of shame and embarrassment with a strange sprinkle of relief rolled down his cheeks as he silently cried. His mind was racing with thoughts and images of _Eddie. _Despite everything, all he could think about was _Eddie_ and how happy and scared the adult made him feel. It was exhilarating and exhausting. It was freeing and frightening.

He managed to calm himself down after a few minutes that lasted a lifetime. Sniffing, Richie wiped the mucus from his nose with the end of his shirt and made his way to the bathroom, washing his face with ice cold water. Finally, he successfully got his breathing under control and clung to the sink, staring at himself. Richie appeared to see himself differently. His fogged-up glasses didn’t seem to properly fit his face anymore. His nose was out of proportion. His mouth was too thin. His cheeks were too red. He hated it. He hated himself. He loved Eddie. Those thoughts alarmed him, but, oddly, they also caused a rush of excitement to flow from his head to his toes.

A sharp knock on the door jerked Richie out of his panicked daze. He tried one more steadying breath and exited the bathroom, reaching the battered front door. The student waited a few seconds before opening the door, not wanting to seem too desperate or needy. He also used these short moments to collect himself before grasping the door handle, turning it and, finally, creaking it open. This brought the bright orange light from the sunset into the apartment, and also revealed the handsome, albeit awkward man standing in the threshold.

“Eds! Welcome, welcome! Please, do come in!” Richie said in a voice that was supposed to sound like a grandmother. Eddie rolled his eyes and entered.

“Do I need to take my shoes off, my dear shithead?” he asked.

“Man. Look around. Does this place really look like the sort of place you’d need to take your shoes off in? And do I look like I honestly give two fucks?” Richie laughed.

Eddie, glancing around the small apartment, gave a small chuckle, but took his sneakers off anyway, carefully placing them at the door and lining them up so that they were perfectly parallel to each other. Richie beckoned him further inside the small room.

“I’m sorry it’s so small and old and messy. I tried to clean up, but it still looks awful. I’m sor–”

“Richie, it’s fine. I like your house. It feels _lived in_!” Eddie interrupted lightly.

“Oh, okay. Thanks,” Richie breathed, flustered.

~~~

The two of them had dinner (mac and cheese) and ended up sitting together, cross-legged, on the bed, playing card games and sharing a bottle of soft drink. The two college students cracked jokes and laughed together, aggressively slapping their hands during intense games of Snap. Music was playing on low volume in the background. It felt… right. Richie was calm. Eddie was content. Everything was okay.

Despite this, Richie’s realisation from before was still swimming through his mind. He liked Eddie. He _needed _Eddie to know.

_What better time than now? _he asked himself. _Fucking go for it, man. Before you start loving him even more._

“Um, Eddie?” he started, brushing the cards off the blanket, watching them scatter onto the ground with what he hoped was a nonchalant facial expression.

“Oh shit, you’re calling me Eddie. Something serious must be up!” Eddie joked. Richie made a half-hearted laugh. “What’s up, Rich?”

Richie swallowed his fear and quickly blurted out what he’d been thinking about for the past month.

“I like you. A lot. In a more-than-a-friend way. I’m really sorry.”

~~~

There was silence for what felt like hours to Richie but was probably only ten seconds. He was terrified to look at Eddie’s face. He was terrified of the rejection that was sure to come. He _knew _that Eddie would stare at him pitifully, stand up and leave forever. Everyone always left in the end.

Eventually, the silence became too much for Richie to handle, so he did the only thing he knew how to do. He began to turn away from the boy sitting opposite him on the bed and started rambling.

“Look, I’m sorry for saying anything. It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way. I undoubtedly made you feel really awkward and uncomfortable and I completely understand if you hate me now and honestly, it’s probably best for you if you just go out the door now because why would you want to still know me after what I just told you? I should never have even called you and forced you to meet up with me in the first place. I’m really sorry – please forget I ever existed or said anyth–” he was cut off by a firm grip on his wrist. Richie stared down at the pale fingers wrapped around his skinny arm, holding on tightly and not letting him turn his back to the other man.

“Richie,” Eddie said, “Look at me.”

Richie managed to pull his eyes up to meet Eddie’s and was surprised by what he saw. There was no pity. There was no sadness and there was no anger. There was simply kindness and empathy. His gaze was soft but still managed to lock Richie in a gentle gaze that he was unable to look away from.

“I don’t hate you. I never have. I’m glad I met you. Nothing can ever change the genuine happiness you make me feel. Of course I won’t leave. I love you, Richie.”

There was yet another silence as Richie processed what Eddie had just told him.

“Okay,” he finally said, quietly. He continued to stare at Eddie and was confused when the man’s pupils suddenly started darting around and his clasp on Richie’s wrist grew tighter. At last, he gazed back into Richie’s eyes and moved his digits from his wrist to his hand, interlacing their fingers together softly. Eddie raised his other hand and locked their fingers together with that one, too. They both looked down at their interwoven hands.

“Richie,” Eddie quietly spoke, playing with Richie’s fingers, “I’m gay.”

For a reason that Eddie did not know, the other boy flinched. Concerned, he called his name again.

“Sorry,” Richie whispered, “I just figured out that I am too earlier today, and I hate myself for it. I haven’t even told myself it yet.”

Eddie comfortingly squeezed his hands, looking into his scared eyes again. “It’s okay to be attracted to guys. It’s normal. It doesn’t make you weird or sick or any other thing that this fucked up town tells you.”

Richie nodded, still unconvinced.

“I’m so scared.”

“I was too, before I accepted myself. But you are no different at all. Come on, you can say it with me.”

There was a pause before Richie finally took a breath and gave a faint smile.

“I’m gay,” the two of them said together. Richie relaxed and immediately fell forward into Eddie’s waiting arms, shaking with silent sobs. Eddie didn’t say anything else – he simply caressed the man’s curls and held him with a strength that Richie clearly needed at that moment.

~~~

Finally, the two pulled apart. Richie giggled.

“I feel better now that I said it,” he mumbled.

“I get what you mean,” Eddie responded.

The two looked into the other’s eyes for a moment.

“Hey, Richie?” Eddie cautiously brought up.

Richie made a non-descriptive noise, letting him know that he was listening. Eddie deeply inhaled.

“I like you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it! As always, please leave kudos or comment if you want. I’m sorry about the small delay in updating, but I hope this chapter was alright. I plan for there to be one more chapter and then an epilogue (this may change hah), and hopefully I’ll post at least once every seven or so days! Look after yourselves and see you next time!  
SMALL UPDATE- I’ve been going through a lil depressive episode that’s been taking a lot out of me so I hope you understand that the next chapter may be posted a bit later x  
SECOND UPDATE- The next chapter is nearly finished and I plan to have it up by Sat 21 Dec!


	4. four

“I like you too.”

The words floated in the air, mixing with the other confessions that were thick like a smog inside Richie’s small apartment. The aura of revelation hung between the two, clearing their minds and blowing fresh air into their lungs. The pressure that had been pushing against Eddie and Richie’s ribs for many weeks was relieved. Richie could _breathe _again, but now he didn’t even feel as though he needed to. Not now that he knew Eddie liked him.

_Eddie likes me_, Richie repeated to himself in his head, his heart pounding with excitement and a small amount of disbelief.

“You… like me?” he reiterated. Eddie lightly slapped his arm. The physical contact made Richie’s stomach flutter.

“Yes, dipshit. I’m not lying!” he laughed. The sound was music to Richie’s ears. He felt slightly uncomfortable, though. The boy had never done anything like this before, and he had never, in a million years, imagined that his crush would actually like him back. What was he supposed to do now? Ask Eddie to date him? Awkwardly shake his hand? Get dessert? Kiss him? Fear of doing the wrong thing was now bottled inside him, as if one wrong move was going to destroy everything that had formed between him and Eddie.

“Richie, I can _see_ you overthinking this! It’s okay! You’re perfect and don’t need to change anything for me,” Eddie said in fond exasperation.

Richie nodded, silently giggling.

“Sorry. I’m just very new to this, I guess,” he explained.

“It’s okay. I get it,” Eddie responded.

After a small pause, Richie spoke up.

“So… what does this make us?” he asked. Eddie thought for a moment before replying.

“What do you want it to make us?”

Richie hesitated, not wanting to be too forward.

“I don’t mind, as long as I get to be with you. What about you?” he finally said.

“To be perfectly honest, Richie, I would _love _to be your boyfriend,” Eddie grinned, squeezing Richie’s hand. Richie gave a shy smile in response.

“I would love that, too.”

Eddie’s grin grew wider as he leaned in and, much to Richie’s surprise and joy, gave his lips a small peck. Richie made a small gasp as he felt Eddie Kaspbrak’s soft lips brush against his own. Before he could even think about kissing back, though, Eddie pulled away and traced Richie’s jawbone with the hand that wasn’t currently clasped in Richie’s own.  
“Well then, boyfriend, may I have the honour of cuddling you until you fall asleep?” he asked.

“It would be my pleasure, boyfriend,” Richie chuckled. Eddie trembled with excitement as he drew himself under Richie and enveloped him in his strong arms.  
Everything was okay.

~~~

The next morning, Richie awoke to the sensation of a warm weight resting on his chest through a heavy blanket, twitching every now and then. His head was positioned on a sturdy surface that was rising and falling slowly. Something near one of his ears was beating steadily below him. His legs were intertwined with what felt like another pair of legs. A feeling of serenity was levitating over him like a fluffy white cloud on a sunny day. Richie was calmer than he had been in weeks.

As he further came to his senses, the young adult realised that he was sharing his small bed with Eddie. The weight on his chest was his hand, and Richie's head was resting on Eddie’s own chest. A flutter of excitement soared through his heart as memories from the previous night came back to the front of his mind. He closed his eyes and relished in the feeling of utmost safety for a few more minutes.

Soon, Eddie shifted underneath him as he stirred. Richie moved off him and shook him gently, fully waking him up. As Eddie’s bleary eyes cleared, he fixed them on Richie. His face broke into a beautiful smile.

“Richie,” he said. That single word carried so much affection and love that Richie blushed.

“That is me, good sir!” Richie grinned, lightly kissing Eddie on the forehead. Eddie’s face joined Richie’s in growing red as he sat up. The two of them leaned on each other’s shoulders for a while, enjoying the comfort that came with the company.

The moment was broken by Richie’s phone ringtone noisily sounding. He groaned as he leaned over and picked up both his phone and his glasses from the bedside table. Placing his glasses on his face, he saw that Mike Hanlon was calling him. He relayed this information to Eddie before sitting on the edge of the old bed and answering the call.

“Mike! How’s it shaking, my man?” Richie enthusiastically said. Mike’s voice crackled through the speaker as he replied.

“Not too bad, Rich. Just wondering if you and Eddie wanted to come meet me and the rest of us at the ice cream shop in, say, forty-five minutes?”

“How do you know Eddie’s with me?” Richie said, panicked. He instantly thought that this knowledge meant that Mike knew they were dating.

“He told us that he was coming over to your house. I just assumed he was still there,” Mike replied, slightly confused. Richie breathed out a sigh of relief, ignoring Eddie’s amused glance at him.

“Ah, yeah, that makes sense. ‘Course we’ll be there! Can’t wait, man,” Richie responded. Mike said goodbye and then hung up. Richie put his phone down and looked at Eddie out of the corner of his eye.

“So, what was that about?” Eddie asked, snickering.

“We’re meeting with Mike and the others at the ice cream shop in forty-five minutes,” Richie explained, pointedly ignoring his defensive response that he gave on the phone to Mike. Eddie nodded.

“Well, we better get ready, then,” he said, standing up and pulling out a new set of clothes. Richie stayed on the bed for a bit, thinking.

“Eds,” he started hesitantly. Eddie turned around.

“Don’t call me Eds. And yeah, what?” he said.

“Should we tell them about our relationship?” Richie asked. Eddie paused.

“Do you want to? They already know that I’m gay, but it would mean you’d have to come out. Do you feel ready for that, yet?”

Richie sat in silence for a few more seconds.

“Yes. I think I am. I do want to tell them. They’re our friends,” he stated.  
Eddie grinned.

“Then we’ll tell them.”

~~~

Forty-five minutes later found Eddie and Richie hovering near the small ice cream shop where they had first met in person. They knew that the rest of the Losers (as Richie had found out they were called) were already seated in there, and they wanted to take a moment to collect themselves before joining them. The two of them were about to announce their relationship (therefore also Richie's sexuality) to the rest of their friends. Eddie appeared relatively calm, and it mostly reflected how he felt inwardly, too. He only felt a slight shiver of apprehension in his chest. Richie, on the other hand, was outwardly terrified.

The student nervously played with a corner of his top, as though the soft material between his fingers would relieve all traces of anxiety in his brain. He didn't know why he was so scared – all of the Losers were either supportive allies or part of the LGBTQ+ community themselves. Richie assumed the fear was because the years of both internal and external oppression had conditioned him to believe that every person was against who he was. He tried to reassure himself that there was no danger, but it was so difficult. His breath hitched.

"Hey," Eddie's voice rang. Richie had almost forgotten that he was standing right next to his gorgeous boyfriend until Eddie spoke up and firmly placed his hand on his forearm. Richie looked into his eyes.

"Hey."

"You alright?" Eddie asked in such a soft voice that Richie almost didn't hear it.

"Yeah. Well, I will be," Richie replied in an equally quiet voice. Eddie squeezed his arm.

"We don't have to do this if you don't feel comfor-"

"No! No. I want to. I just feel a little..." Richie trailed off, not quite knowing the right word to say. Luckily, Eddie understood. He drew his hand down Richie's forearm and ended by winding their fingers together.

"I get it. You know that it'll be okay. Let's do this."

Holding Richie's hand firmly in his own, Eddie led his boyfriend into the ice cream store.

The other Losers were, as predicted, already seated inside the shop, eating various flavours of ice cream. Eddie had also invited Bill and Beverly, as he told the others that they had reconnected and wanted to catch up. They all smiled brightly and waved as Richie and Eddie entered, warmly beckoning them over.

“Eddie! Richie! So great to see you!” Mike called. Ben stood and hugged both of them, followed by Beverly. Stan smiled at them, and Bill nodded amiably towards the two. Beverly grabbed two stools from a vacant table and positioned them in between her and Stan’s own chairs.  
“Hey, guys!” Eddie greeted as he and Richie slid into the two offered seats. Richie would’ve spoken, but for once in his life his vocal cords seemed to have forgotten how to operate. He was too nervous. He grasped onto Eddie’s hand under the table.

The Losers all spoke about various topics and their lives for a while, and Richie began to feel more comfortable. He contributed more and more to their chats, and as he did, he became happier and more confident.

Finally, there was a small lull in the conversation, although it wasn't awkward. Instead, it was a relaxed silence. Richie felt as though this was the best time to reveal their relationship status. Turning to look at Eddie, he could tell that his significant other felt the same way. Eddie looked at him, giving him the option to back out in case he had changed his mind. Richie met his gaze with a determined facial expression, nodding slightly. He was given a smile in return. Eddie cleared his throat, cutting through the pause.

"So, Richie and I have a small announcement to make," he began, looking around at their friends. The Losers all stared up at them, intrigued and waiting to hear what he had to say.

"Yeah?" Stan prompted in a way that would have sounded rude if Richie didn't know him.

Eddie took a breath to calm the nerves bubbling inside him and ripped off the bandaid.

"Richie and I are in a relationship and dating!" he blurted out, trying not to reveal the anxiety in his tone by covering it with false confidence.

Silence reigned on the group for a few short moments, before everyone started talking at the same time, excitement in all of their tones. Richie couldn't discern to whom which voice belonged.

"Oh my god!"

"For how long?"

"When did you start dating?"

"Who confessed first?"

"Tell us everything!"

Richie and Eddie burst into laughter, which was brought about by the surge of relief that hit them when there was no negative backlash. Richie spoke up and, filtering out some parts, answered all of their questions, still holding Eddie's hand. He was basking in the love that came from not only his boyfriend, but all the Losers as well. An overwhelming sense of appreciation welled up inside Richie. It was such a wonderful feeling that he had never experienced before and would never forget. They all now knew about his sexuality, but didn't comment on it, for it did not matter. To them, him and Eddie being together was just another relationship, and if they loved each other, then there was no need to bring up his sexual orientation.

Stan spoke up.

"I'm so happy for you guys! I hope you stay together for a really long time. Remember, though, to not neglect your friendships with us as you work on your own relationship. You both mean a lot to us and I don't think any of us, including you, want you to become unhealthily attached to each other to the point where you never interact with anyone else."

The rest of the Losers nodded in agreement. Richie and Eddie smiled and embraced all of them.

"We would never ignore you guys," Richie promised.

~~~

The couple kept this vow. They caught up with the Losers regularly whilst still spending time on their relationship and their own personal needs. Richie now sat with Bill and Beverly during his lectures, and Eddie met up with them after Richie’s classes. After this, Beverly and Bill would either stay with them, or they would part ways in groups of two. They often met at the ice cream shop as well as other places around Derry, exploring the small but exciting town. Richie still stayed in his worn-down apartment, but he was no longer alone. Friends would come visit and Eddie would sometimes stay the night. Richie actually had motivation to tidy it up, so although it was old, it didn’t look awful anymore. These changes in his life did absolute wonders to his mental health, and Richie finally had a reason to get out of bed in the morning. It was incredible.

A month or so after they came out about their relationship to the Losers, Richie made a decision. With Eddie and his friends’ blessings, he said a big fuck you to telemarketing and quit his job. He wanted to try out comedy, so he spent weeks preparing his audition for a university which specialised in that very field. Eddie came with him to the audition and gave Richie a pep talk right before he went into the room where his talents were to be judged. They weren’t sure what the outcome was going to be, but they knew they’d face it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this chapter! Please leave a comment if you enjoyed or have some feedback! I'm sorry it took me so long to post - I had a depressive episode which made me really unmotivated, and tHEN I had surgery and needed to recover from that. I'm not super happy with this chapter, but I wanted to get it out. Just the epilogue left! I hope to have it up soon. Thank you so so so much for coming to this story! I hope you're looking after yourselves :)


	5. epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year!! Here is the epilogue of this story! It's very short and more of a series of scenes that happened after the main events of the story. I hope it's an alright end to this fic. Hope you enjoy!

“Richie…”

“Yeah?”

The two boyfriends were sitting together on a park bench, holding hands. Eddie had his head resting on Richie’s shoulder. The wind flew gently through their hair, carrying a cool breeze across the park and rustling the leaves of the evergreen trees. A small river trickled nearby. Both students were shrouded in comfort and serenity. It was a month or so after Richie had auditioned for the comedy school, and they had yet to find out the results. The two of them had been sitting together in silence for about ten minutes, enjoying the other’s company, until Eddie had spoken up.

“I was wondering if you wanted to move in with me?” he asked nervously.

The silence that Eddie had so recently broken came back tenfold. Richie didn’t speak for a while, simply processing the offer and thinking about his response. He was so pleasantly surprised that Eddie had asked him, and the thought of living in the same house as him filled him with so much excitement and joy that he did not know how to reply. Eddie, however, took his silence the wrong way.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to, though. No pressure whatsoever. I understand if you’d rather stay in your own house and I don’t want to put you in situations that don’t want to be in and I don’t mean to say that your house is _bad_, or anything, I just thought it could be nice–”

“Eddie!” Richie interrupted him, “I’d love to move in with you!”

Now it was Eddie’s turn to be stunned into silence, half from shock and half because Richie had just thrown himself onto Eddie in a hug.

“Oh. Brilliant!” he gasped, adjusting Richie’s body so that they were both in a more comfortable position.

They both laughed in joy. When they finally pulled apart, Richie spoke up again.

“And cut the bullshit. My apartment is disgusting, and we both know it.”

Eddie smirked.

“Okay, that _is _true.”

The laughter very quickly returned, and the two of them simply allowed themselves to feel the relief and happiness. They would be living together.

~~~

“Hey, Richie!” Eddie called from the front door of their now shared apartment. It was around nine in the morning, and Richie had moved in a week ago. They had both settled into the new living arrangements with extreme ease.

“Mmmm… what?” Richie groaned from the bed, which they shared. He was obviously not appreciative of being woken up at this hour.

“You’ve got a letter from that comedy school you auditioned for. I assume it has your outcome,” Eddie explained.

This got Richie’s attention. He jerked up into a sitting position and shot out of bed, tangling his legs in the blankets with his haste, causing him to trip and end up on the ground. Grumbling incomprehensible words, Richie unravelled his lanky limbs from the material and pushed himself properly to his feet. He stumbled towards Eddie and snatched the formal-looking envelope from his outstretched hand. Richie’s whole body was shaking with a mixture of trepidation and excitement. He was almost too scared to open the letter. He went to sit on a chair in an attempt to prolong the moment before he had to see the result which determined his future. Eddie stood behind him, his hand on Richie’s shoulder in a gesture of strength and support.

“Open it,” he said softly, giving his shoulder a small squeeze. This was all the encouragement it took for Richie to painstakingly peel open the envelope and pull out the equally fancy sheet of paper inside. Trembling, he unfolded the letter and scanned his eyes over the contents. Eddie averted his eyes, giving Richie the privacy he needed to fully process whatever the words told him.

Finally, Richie looked up at Eddie, an unreadable expression on his face. Eddie stared at him in what he hoped was a gentle, yet curious way. Richie then spoke.

“I got in.”

Eddie’s face broke into a beautiful grin, punching the air in happiness. He bent down and gave his boyfriend an enormous hug, kissing his face uncontrollably.

“Yes, Richie! I knew you’d be able to do it! Oh my gosh! Congratulations! This is so exciting! Can I read it?”

Nodding, Richie wordlessly passed him the paper. Eddie quickly read its contents.

_Dear Mr Richie Tozier,_

_Thank you for auditioning for The Derry University of Comedy. Our judges have arbitrated many auditionees’ pieces and have come to a conclusion of who we wish to take in next year. We are very pleased and honoured to offer you a place in our school, complete with a full scholarship. This university is highly prestigious, and we expect and assume that you will uphold its ethos. Please find attached in this envelope all information you may need, as well as a booklist and forms to fill out. Please respond to this letter within a month, or else you will, unfortunately, lose your scholarship. Thank you, once again, for auditioning for The Derry University of Comedy, and we are excited to see what you bring to the school._

_Best regards,_

_Professor Jean Wilson_

_President of The Derry University of Comedy_

Eddie placed the letter down and, if possible, his grin grew even wider. Richie appeared to be so overwhelmed with excitement that he was unable to speak.

“Richie! You got a _scholarship_! This is amazing!” Eddie exclaimed. “Are you going to accept it?”

The events seemed to just catch up with Richie, and he finally started beaming.

“Fuck yeah, I am!”

The two of them had yet another hug and began formatting a letter in response. The exhilaration and joy of the boyfriends filled the whole apartment. Richie knew that this was the start of something big.

~~~

Weeks flew by and Richie was successfully enrolled in the University of Comedy, began attending classes, and left his telemarketing job far behind him. Eddie was still at his college, and both of them were _happy_. They still lived together and the love that they both originally felt for each other was still very much present. The two of them even adopted a dog named Maisy, whom they adored and treasured with all of their hearts. It was perfect, and, even if shit happened later, it would be okay. They had each other, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's over! What was meant to be a one shot crackfic that I started writing at midnight turned into a (pretty short) multi chapter oop. Thank you so so much for reading the whole thing - I really appreciate it. Please give me feedback! I have some ideas for other fics both in this fandom and other ones, so look out for those if you want!


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